The Transformation
by J. Jennings
Summary: After being bitten by a spider, Stacey begins to have a strange reaction. PG-13 for language. Read & Review.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** I wrote this out of boredom. I integrated some of Spider-Man's storyline into this one. I'm not sure where exactly to put this as far as running in sequence with the series, so I think I'll just put it as an alternate story. Hope you like it.   
  
  
  


**The Transformation**   
By: J. Jennings 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Chapter 1**   


Who am I, are you sure you want to know? The story of my life is not to be taken lightly. If someone told you that it was a happy tale. If someone told you that I was just an ordinary teenager without a care in the world, somebody lied. I am an Animorph, protector of Earth and the human race. Given the gift and the curse of morphing by the Andalite race. It is with this power that I fight a parasitic race of aliens known as the Yeerks. But you already know that, don't you? You may even be a Controller already. By the way, my name is Stacey, and this is my story. Not about me being an Animorph and fighting for Earth's freedom, but of an incident that occurred a few weeks ago that would once again change my life forever. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2   


We were attending a school fieldtrip with our zoology class to one of the largest science labs in the country. Normally I would pass on stuff like this, but I didn't feel like taking the exam I had in math next period. I looked around at some of the machines they used to study some of the specimens. Ketara was even with us that day and all I heard her say was how primitive our technology was compared to the Andalites'. 

"Can you _please_ quit degrading my race?" I asked her. "Besides, aren't the Andalites helping us to improve it?" 

"Yes Princess Stacey, I apologize for my arrogance." 

"Don't call me Princess." 

"Yes Princess." 

It was hopeless to argue about her calling me "Princess". I was, after all, the leader of the group. Her father called my father "Prince" all the time. My thoughts strayed to my father. He had sacrificed himself to the control of Visser One in order to keep me from going through that nightmare again. Now he is my arch-nemesis, bent on our destruction and the enslaving of the entire universe. I only hoped that my dad didn't break and give up fighting for control of his own body. There was a time where I did give up in order to protect my family, but my efforts were in vain. My mother ended up being murdered, slain by the hand of the evil Yeerk overlord. The fact that she was dead wasn't what bothered me, it was the fact that it was my finger that pulled the trigger. It didn't help to tell me that I wasn't in control of my own actions. It was still my hand she died by! 

"Stacey, are you okay?" Cheyenne asked. 

I snapped back to the present. "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." 

"Come on, we'll fail this course if we don't pay attention." 

I follwed the rest of the class over to a display of small square containers. Each contained a single small spider. One of the scientists that was heading the tour of the lab began to give a small presentation. 

"As you know the mosquito and locust population has increased by 25% in the past two years. During that time we created a new species of spider capable of lowering the number of harmful insects in the world. Of the many spiders we observed, only four were eligible for this experiment; the Delana, jumping, net web, and grass spider," she said as she pointed to four spiders in four different aquariums. "The Delana and jumping spider have the ability to jump great distances to catch it's prey. The net web spider's webbing has a tensile strength of a high-tension wire. And the grass spider's reflexes are so great that many beleive it acts on precognition, sort of like ESP." 

I sighed and wandered over to the display of genetically altered spiders. They looked slightly different from regular spiders I have seen (and been). 

"With these characteristics we were able to create a new gene and fuse it in the genetic code of these twelve new super spiders." 

Twelve? I did a quick count. Nine... Ten... "There's only eleven," I said. 

"Excuse me?" 

"One's missing." 

"Are you sure?" the scientist asked. She came over and peered into the empty container. "They must be working with that one. They'll bring it back shortly." 

I went over and leaned against the wall as the class looked around. My attention was drawn to a large computer screen. It displayed all the information about the new spiders, their abilities and how they would help lower the mosquito count, which in fact had gotten pretty bad. So bad that the second you stepped out the door you became a walking buffet. I was too busy reading the information on them that I didn't notice I had disturbed a web, or that the spider who had built it had found its way onto my hand. Only after it bit me did I realize it was there. 

"Ow!" I jerked my hand in surprise and the spider fell to the floor and scurried under a desk. Before it disappeared I noticed that it was the missing spider from the exhibit. From what I had read on the computer, none of the spiders that were used were poisonous. "That's a relief," I mummbled. 

On the way back to school I began to feel a little strange, the bite was throbbing now. I rubbed the back of my hand to try and ease it. 

"Are you okay?" Cheyenne asked me. "You don't look so good." 

"Got any asprin? I got a raging headache." 

She reached into her bag and handed me a small bottle. I swallowed two pills and leaned my head against the bus window. I edured the last half hour of school and went home. I would have flown, but with the way I was feeling flying didn't seem like a good idea. Instead I took the bus. I stumbled out onto the lawn of Aunt Rachel's house and staggered to the front door. Rachel was in the kitchen preparing dinner while Tobias set the table. 

"Hey Stacey, did you decide to take the bus?" she asked me. "The others got back fifteen minutes ago." 

"Yeah. I don't feel good Aunt Rachel, I think I'll go to sleep for a while." 

"You want a bite to eat first?" 

"Already had a bite." 

I hurried up the stairs to my room. I stripped down to a sports top and shorts. Every part of my body ached and I was drenched with sweat. I felt so dizzy I collapsed onto the bed and pulled the covers up over my head. I felt cold but knew my skin was burning with fever. I closed my eyes and finally fell asleep. It wasn't a pleasant rest either because all I dreamt about was spiders. I was awaken sometime later by Nicole. 

"Hey sleepyhead, get up or you'll be late," she said. 

"Late for what?" 

"School. You must have been out of it, you've been asleep since you got home yesterday." 

I looked at the clock on my table. 7:00 a.m. I sprung out of bed and hurried to the bathroom to get a shower. As I got dressed I noticed that my adominal muscles were a bit more tone. I went over to the full-sized mirror on my closet door and looked at myself. The bicep muscles on my arms had slightly increased in size. So had the muscles in my legs. 

"Whoa." I turned to the side and saw that my butt was smaller and firmer. "Dreams do come true." 

"Planning to compete for Miss Universe?" I blushed with embarassment as I saw Nicole staring at me. "Looks like gym class finally did you some good." 

"Maybe." 

I finished getting dressed, having to adjust my bra due to the slight enlargement of my chest area (talk about blossoming over night) and ran downstairs to the dining room for breakfast. The others were already at the table. I hopped over the railing and landed in the room. 

"I take it you're feeling better?" Tobias asked me. 

"Never felt better," I said with a smile. 

I sat down and ate with everyone else. When I finished I carried my plate to the kitchen and put it in the sink. The fork, however, was stuck to my hand. I tried to shake it off without drawing attention to myself but it wouldn't budge. Finally I grabbed it and pulled it free. 

Weird, I thought. 

As the five of us went out the door everyone but me began to morph to birds. 

David stopped and looked at me. "Aren't you coming?" 

"Think I'll walk today." 

"Okay, see ya." 

He morphed and flew away. I watched them soar as I walked on, not paying attention to where I was going. Suddenly, I felt a tingling sensation at the back of my head. I leapt upward and landed on the hood of on oncoming car. A car that would have hit me. How did I know? 

The driver jumped out. "Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?" 

"I'm fine," I said as I hopped off the hood. 

"Be more careful from now on." 

Indeed I would be. But the whole thing puzzled me, how was I able to know that car was about to hit me when I never even saw it? I shook my head to clear my thoughts and continued on to school. It was during gym class that things got really weird. The coach sent me to the equipment room to get a volleyball but it was on the very top shelf, well beyond my reach. I tried to grab it and had no luck. I threw my arm up in frustration and a thread shot out of my wrist and stuck to the ball. I tugged at it and the ball dropped from the shelf. What the hell was this stuff? It looked like webbing. After removing it from the ball I went back out to the gym. I played some volleyball with a few of the girls. I jumped up and batted the ball over the net. I hit it so hard that it bounced off the floor and... 

"Oooow!" 

Hit Amanda Rowan in the face. 

_Oh shit, you've done it now_, my mind said. 

Rowan was not the type of girl you wanted to be on the bad side of. Even the guys were afraid of her. I turned and started walking away, trying to get out of there before something else happened. I felt the tingling again and ducked. Rowan's fist went swinging past. 

"You must think you're pretty funny don't you Berenson?" 

"It was an accident, don't get uptight." 

"The only accident you're going to have is your face being smashed!" 

She swung and I ducked. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, I was able to dodge Rowan's punches before they neared my face. She charged me and I jumped, landing behind her. 

"Hold still dammit!" 

She began swinging harder and faster, but none of the blows connected. I grabbed her hand after she threw another punch and squeezed. She began yelling in pain. I saw the other fist coming around for another shot. I punched her in the stomach and she flew back and slid across the floor. The onlookers stared at me in both shock and amazement for I had just beaten the toughest girl in school. I had to get out of there. I ran and didn't stop until I reached an empty alley. 

"What's happening to me?!" I wondered aloud, then I remembered the spider bite. 

Was it possible that it was having some sort of effect on me? Could I be mutating? The last thing I needed was to sprout eight arms. My fingertips itched, as I looked closer I saw fine hairs protruding from them. 

"I wonder..." 

I placed one hand on the wall, then the other. They stuck! I moved up, higher and higher. When I looked down I was high above the ground, at least ten feet. 

"Yeeee-haah!" I screamed as I leaped from rooftop to rooftop. 

When I finally came to a stop I was overlooking a wide intersection. The next building was too far for me to jump across to. There was a large billboard sign on the roof. Maybe I could swing across to it. I threw out my arm and... Nothing happened. I tried again and again. Finally I just snapped my wrist and... 

THWIP! a string of webbing shot forward. 

So that's how it works. I aimed for the sign and fired again. The web attached to the sign and held firm. I stood on the building ledge and took a deep breath. 

"Here it goes." I stepped off and... "Whoa!" I was swinging! 

I reached the roof and released the webline. It was totally exhilirating! Almost like flying, except I was still in human form. I spent the rest of the afternoon swinging along the city rooftops. I wanted to get as much pratice in as I could for when it came to fighting Visser One again. A thought struck me then. Would these new powers disappear the minute I morphed? I focused on the golden eagle that was part of me and transformed. I snapped my wrist again. 

THWIP! 

Apparently when the spider bit me, part of its genetic sequence was transferred to me and fused with mine. The others would find this so cool. 

_You can't tell the others_, my mind said to me. _If the Yeerks found out, it would put them in even more danger. No one must know. This must remain a secret at all costs._

I knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do in order to protect them. But I wanted to tell them so much. I morphed and flew home. I decided to do a search on the internet about superheroes. Many names popped up; Wonder Woman, Superman, and... Spider-Man. I clicked on a page about Spider-Man and a comic site came up on the screen. I read the story of Peter Parker and how a bite from a radioactive spider transformed him into the webslinger of New York. I studied a picture of his costume. Perhaps I could be like that? I already had the powers. Further down the page was a sub-category about someone called Spider-_Girl_. I opened that and read. She was the daughter of Spider-Man. Her costume was similar in design, with a few alterations. Perfect for mine. It was a good thing tomorrow was Saturday. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3   


I went to the mall and all the local novelty shops looking for the materials needed to make my costume. I was pretty good in fashion and wanted to have a career as a fashion designer after I graduated from college. Most of the materials I got were red and blue spandex. I decided to use mirror-tinted plastic for the eyes of the mask so I could see out, but no one could see my eyes. The costume also had to be thin enough where I could wear it under my street clothes without it being noticeable. I returned home and went into the attic where I began working. The outfit was pretty much made since I was using a blue unitard. All I needed on it were the red patches with the black webbing. I worked well into the day, cutting and sewing, making sure everything fit just right. The boots and the mask were the most difficult part to make. I held my masterpiece out in front of me. 

"Perfect." 

"Stacey, what are you doing? You've been up there all day." 

"Just working on a little project Aunt Rachel, I'll be down in a few minutes." 

"Okay, dinner is ready." 

I slipped my costume on to see how it fit. Not too tight and not too loose. The large spider logo covered most of my chest. Basically, it looked like I was wearing a red swimsuit over a blue leotard. I put my clothes on over it, you never would have guessed I was wearing it. I had made the sleeves short enough so that I didn't have to wear long sleeved shirts all the time. The gloves and mask I could carry in my pockets. The boots slid easily into my shoes and still gave my toes room to wiggle around. I threw all the scraps of fabric into the trash and went to sit down at the table. Nicole gave me a curious look. 

"What are you up to?" she asked. 

"What do you mean?" I said as I cut my steak. 

"You've been acting weird lately. First you come home sick, then you're better the next morning. You get into a fight and -" 

"I didn't start that," I cut in. 

"We know you didn't Stacey," Tobias said. "But at least you finished it. Maybe that Rowan girl deserved it. But don't get cocky because you can beat her up." 

I nodded and continued eating my meal. There was silence during the remainder of dinner, no one questioned me about my whereabouts after the fight or what the project was that I had been working on all day. I lay in bed that night, unable to sleep. I kept thinking about how I was going to be able to maintain my double life; one as an Animorph, the other as a superhero. Police sirens sounded in the distance, something was happening across town. I eased out of bed, grabbing my mask and gloves, and crawled out the window. I swung through the city, following the wail of sirens. I saw a crowd of people gathered on the sidewalk. Lying on the cold concrete walkway was a young boy, at least eight to ten years of age, maybe older. I got in closer for a better look and recognized him. It was Andrew Rowan, Amanda's younger brother. I saw Amanda kneeling by his side crying, her hand on his chest, which I then noticed was covered in blood. Blood that came from a gunshot wound. 

"What happened?" one of the bystanders asked. 

"Drive-by," one of the officers reported. 

Andrew's eyes were now glazed and lifeless. The paramedics draped a white sheet over him. A death shroud. Two of the police officers pulled Rowan kicking and screaming away from her dead brother. Maybe she wasn't as tough as she wanted everyone to think. She broke free and ran into a nearby alley where she collapsed in a heap of tears. I followed her and slid down a dragline beside her. 

"Who are you?" she asked. 

"A friend," I told her. "No child deserves that kind of fate." 

"I don't even know you." 

"My name... is Spider-Girl." 

"We have the suspects!" one of the officers announced. "They're headed north on Pullman, all available units are in pursuit." 

I crawled up the wall and ran across the roof, leaping to the next, making my way to Pullman Avenue. A red mustang was zig-zagging through the traffic trying to lose the pursuing squad cards. I jumped from my perch on the roof. 

THWIP! THWIP! 

I swung from one side of the street to the other. Back and forth, advancing on the speeding car. I released the webline and landed on the hood. 

"Aaah!" the driver yelped as I punched a hole through the windshield. 

The two guys in the backseat took aim at me and fired. 

BLAM! BLAM! 

With my super fast relexes I was able to dodge the bullets. My spidersense went off right then. I leapt upward just as the car crashed into the gate of the harbor. I clung to the side of the building and watched the three gangsters enter an abandoned building. The police arrived and surrounded the area to prevent any escape. The front door had been barred and they couldn't get in, but that didn't stop me. I simply crawled up the wall and through the window. 

"What the hell was that thing?!" one of the gangters asked. 

"Whatever it was, we'd better kill it and fast." 

I followed the sound of their voices and found the three of them standing in the middle of an empty room, guns drawn and eyes scanning, looking for me. I hung from the ceiling above them and took aim. 

THWIP! THWIP! THWIP! 

I shot three lines of webbing and snatched their guns away. They scattered as I dropped down from above, but they would not escape me. I pulled each one back with a string of webbing and pinned them to the wall with a web. 

"Please! Don't hurt us!" one of them begged. 

I brought my face to their's. "Why should I show you mercy? You didn't show any when you shot that child! So tell me why I should." 

I heard the front door bust open and the sound of approaching footsteps. I decided to make a quick exit out the window. I made it back into my bedroom without disturbing Nicole and crawled back into bed and went to sleep. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4   


I awoke later the next afternoon. Everyone was already up. I made my way to the kitchen and made a sandwich. 

"You slept late," Jason said. 

"I had a rough night." 

I could feel suspicious eyes staring at me. I knew it was Nicole, she sensed that I was not myself, but didn't know what to suspect. Perhaps she thought I was a Controller. Or maybe she thought I was still having guilt over Mom and Dad, which I was. 

"Hey look at this!" Michael called. I trotted into the living room, the news was on. 

"Authorities claim that when they arrived on the scene, the three suspects were stuck to the wall by a giant spiderweb," the reporter said. "The suspects stated that a person capable of crawling on the walls and ceiling was responsible and that when officers arrived, swung out the window on a rope made of webbing that was shot from their wrist." 

I smiled inside. 

"The reletative of the young victim said that they made contact with the mysterious person." 

The screen switched to an interview with Rowan. "She appeared out of nowhere and said she was a 'friend'. She told me her name was Spider-Girl, then she crawled up the wall and disappeared." 

The phone rang and Michael answered. "Hello? Yeah we're watching it right now. I know, it's weird. Okay fine," he said and hung up. "That was Cheyenne, she and Travis are on their way over." 

"I actually feel sorry for Rowan," David said. "I mean that was her brother." 

"Yeah," Nicole sighed, "he was a sweet kid." 

"The trial will be held tomorrow. All three suspects have been charged with first-degree murder and are expected to receive life in prison without the possibility of parole." 

Cheyenne and Travis walked into the room along with Marco and Cassie. 

"Hey guys," Marco said. "We need to talk about this Spider-Girl." 

"Yeah, Dad thinks she might be a new weapon of the Yeerks," Cheyenne said. 

"So how do we find out for sure?" Jason asked. 

I spoke before anyone else could. "We could take her captive. I can have Ketara make a scanner to detect any Yeerk presence." 

"But how do we catch her?" 

I looked at Cassie. "Got a tranquilizer gun?" 

"I think so, but all the tranqs are too strong a dose for a human, she'd be out for hours." 

"Make a weaker one then. Everyone with me on this?" They all nodded. "I'll go fill Ketara in on the details. Cassie, get everything ready." 

I morphed and flew out to the forest to find Ketara. I found her running in a field, feeding. I swooped low and landed on a fallen tree. 

Hi Ketara.> 

Hello. Is something wrong?> 

I demorphed and stood before her. "No. I need to talk to you about something." 

I told her of the plan to catch Spider-Girl. She saw the report on the tv she had in her scoop. Building a scanner wouldn't be a problem for her. An hour later I had it in my hand. 

"Now you must swear to me on your honor as a warrior that you _will not_ tell anyone what I am about to tell you." 

I swear on my father's name.> 

"Good. I'm Spider-Girl," I told her. 

There was a long moment of silence. I could see the realization begin to show in her eyes. You are... > 

"Yes." 

How is that possible?> 

I explained what happened that day at the exhibit. And told her what my theory was on the genetic transfer. 

You are correct in your assumptions. This gene mutation is now a permanent part of your genetic coding.> 

"I figured that out after I morphed and was still capable of climbing walls when was human again." 

Have you tried doing so while in morph? Maybe the gene fused with the DNA of all your morphs.> 

"Never thought of that." 

One question: How are you going to be captured as Spider-Girl and not be there as yourself without rousing suspicions?> 

I grinned. "That's where you come in." 

Ketara had acquired my DNA, along with Nicole and Cheyenne's, to make a human morph. She somehow was able isolate part of that and morph me. I explained what I wanted her to do. 

"Don't go acting all proper. If you're going to be me, you have to act and sound like me." 

Understood. I mean, no problem.> 

I nodded and flew back to the house. The plan was set to take place tonight. Marco and Tobias would pretend to mug Rachel, while Cassie shot me with the tranquilizer. The rest of us would wait at the house. Nicole was downstairs watching a movie with the others while I was supposedly finishing up some homework. Ketara flew through my window and landed on the end of my bed. 

Are you ready?> she asked. 

I slipped on my mask and gloves and morphed to golden eagle while she morphed me and slid into the clothes I changed out of. I flew to the spot where everything was to happen and demorphed out of site. Rachel was walking down an alley, I swung across above her, making sure she saw my shadow on the ground. Marco and Tobias came out of the shadows and grabbed her. 

"Hey babe," Marco said. "How's about a kiss?" 

"Get away from me you creep." She tried to go around but he blocked her path. 

"Where do you think you're going?" Tobias asked. "Come on, give us a kiss." 

Rachel swung her purse and hit him across the head then ran. They chased after her and tackled her to the ground. 

"Help me!" she yelled. "HELP!" 

Marco pulled out a knife and held it to her throat. That was my cue. I swung down and knocked them away. Marco came at me with the knife. I had to hurt them a little to make it believable. I hit him in the stomach with a well-placed kick. He went down hard. Tobias grabbed me from behind and pinned my arms down. That wouldn't stop me. I thrust both of my elbows into his ribs and broke free. He swung his fist at me, I grabbed his arm and flipped him over onto his back. They decided to give up then and ran off. 

_Sorry guys_, I apologized silently. 

Rachel was cringing by a dumpster. "Are you okay Miss?" I asked her. 

"I'm fine, thank you." 

My spidersense was going off right then, but I ignored it. I knew Cassie was taking aim. 

BLAM! 

"Ow!" I yelled as I felt the dart stick in the back of my neck. 

Everything started getting blurry as the drugs took effect. I staggered about trying to keep on my feet until I finally passed out in front of Rachel. The last thing I remember was hearing their fading voices. 

"Damn she's strong. I think my ribs are broken." 

"Quit complaining and help Tobias put her in the car." 

Everything went black. I don't know how long I was out, but when I came to I was tied to a chair in the basement of Rachel's house. I struggled against my restraints. A gorilla come from the shadows and stood before me. Marco. 

"Great. I've been captured by the circus and put in the freak show." 

Very funny.> 

"Who's saying that?" 

I am,> Marco said. Come on down you guys, she's awake.> 

Rachel, Tobias and Cassie, along with the others came down to the basement. Marco demorphed. 

"You! You're the people from the alley! Who are you?! Where am I?!" 

Ketara (in her morph of me) came and held the scanner to my head. "Hold still, this won't hurt." After a few seconds. "She's clean." 

"Clean of what?" 

Marco and Tobias untied me. "Sorry," Tobias said. "We had to make sure you weren't one of them." 

"Who?" 

They told me the story of the Yeerk invasion and how they defend the human race with the power to morph. I played it off so they wouldn't suspect me. They asked if I would consider joining the fight. I declined the offer. 

"I've got my hands full fighting crime. You guys handle the Yeerks and I'll take care of the small stuff." 

"If you change your mind let us know, we could always use someone like you," Ketara said. 

"I'll help any way I can, but I can't accept this power." 

"Okay, that's your decision," Jason said. 

"I must be on my way. The city needs my help." I headed up the stairs and out the door. 

I waited on the roof for Ketara. She flew up and landed, where she demorphed and morphed to me. I took my clothes back and put them on, at least she kept a leotard on for when she was morphing human. I climbed down and in through my window. I still felt disoriented from the tranquilizer, but at least the greater part of it had worn off. Nicole came in and sat on her bed. 

"She was kind of odd don't you think?" 

"I found her interesting," I said. 

"She reminded me of you. Same attitude and everything." 

"Hey watch it." 

"I'm just saying she seemed like the leader type. Maybe she'll change her mind and join us." 

"Possibly. But let's not push it, there are other things happening besides the invasion. It's good that the police have someone helping them out." 

Nicole agreed. The Yeerks weren't the only problem in the world. Crime was a major issue these days and the police alone couldn't stop it completely. They needed all the help they could get. Tobias was in the kitchen fixing an ice pack for his hand. 

"What happened to you?" I asked. 

"Spidey hurt my wrist when she flipped me, and all she did was grab it." 

Spidey?! "She that strong?" 

"I think she could beat up Marco in gorilla morph." 

I felt guilty hurting him like that, but it was necessary. Marco could just morph his injuries away, but Tobias couldn't. I didn't see Rowan at school the next day, she was at her brother's funeral. The three men that were responsible for his death received life plus eighty years in prison. Justice had been served. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Visser One> 

  


I was furious! First the Animorphs, now this Spider-Girl! As if I didn't have enough problems already. I called my two lieutenants: Berenson and Chapman. 

"Who is this Spider-Girl?" I asked them. 

"No one knows Sir, she disappears as fast as she appears," Chapman said. 

"Spread the word to every Yeerk in the city. Whoever brings me Spider-Girl receives a promotion to vissership. She will be a powerful ally in our conquest of this planet." 

"Yes sir!" they left to deliver my message. 

You'll never find her,> Jake said. Stacey will stop you.> 

She has yet to do so,> I laughed. 

A few days went by and no one knew anything! I finally decided to start infesting everyone we came across. If we couldn't find her one way, we'd find her another. I gave the order to Berenson and Chapman to capture the Animorphs, they were more likely to have had contact with Spider-Girl. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Nicole> 

  


Things have been happening lately. With the exception of Spider-Girl's arrival, people have been coming up missing and returning a few days later. Visser One must be up to something. Maybe he knew about Spider-Girl and was trying to find out who she was. A bird suddenly came crashing into my room. It was a merlin falcon. 

"Travis, are you okay? What's wrong?" 

Mom... Yeerks...,> he panted. 

"Slow down, you're not making any sense." 

Mom was caught by the Yeerks. She's down in the pool now.> 

I ran downstairs and got everyone together. We were going to rescue Cassie, immediately. Ketara and Darrax met us at the pool entrance. Rachel and Marco tagged along as well. 

"Okay, everyone be careful. We're expected," Stacey said and we descended into the cavern. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Cassie> 

  


I was locked in a cell with an anti-morph collar around my neck and my hands tied behind my back. A group of Controllers barged into my house earlier that day and took me captive. Travis narrowly escaped and went to warn the others. I knew they would come for me, there was no doubting that. Visser One knew this as well. My cell door opened, a shadow loomed across the floor. I backed further into the corner as he came closer. 

"Scared are we? Good." 

"Yeerk slime," I snarled. 

"Cassie, you hurt me. Is that any way to talk to your boyfriend?" 

"You're _not_ Jake!" 

He grabbed me by the hair and pulled me close. "I'm going to ask you nicely: Who is Spider-Girl?" 

"Go fuck yourself!" 

He threw me to the floor and kicked me in the stomach. "Who is she?! Tell me now!" 

"I... don't know," I gasped. "Even if I did, I sure as hell wouldn't tell you!" 

"My patience has worn thin with you. Prepare her for infestation," he said to the guard. 

The Tyrant guard picked me up and escorted me to the infestion pier. As I got to the end I heard a thunderous roar echo throughout the cavern. I saw a group of animals attacking the Controllers. Rachel and Marco were with them too. 

"Guys! Help!" I yelled. 

"Help them, I'll take care of her," Visser One told the guard. 

He kicked the back of my knees and forced my head down to the surface of the pool. I struggled to keep my head above it, but was slowly getting closer. There was a flash of red and blue, then Visser One disappeared. I lost my balance and tumbled off the pier, into the sludgy water. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Stacey> 

  


I saw Visser One trying to force Cassie's head into the pool. I swung down just as her ear touched the surfaced and knocked Visser One back. Cassie lost her balance and fell in. 

"Cassie!" I dove in after her. 

Yeerks were all around me as I searched blindly for her. I finally found her and headed for the surface. A Yeerk was still squirming into her ear when we surfaced. 

"No you don't," I pulled it out and crushed it in my hand. "Are you okay?" 

"Get this collar off me." 

I carried her to shore, untied her and broke the collar off. She morphed to wolf and joined the battle. My spidersense tingled. I rolled to the side and a Dracon beam struck the ground where I had been. 

"If it isn't the infamous Spider-Girl," Visser One said. 

My heart ached with sorrow to see the thing that was once the man I called Dad. "And who are you?" I asked. 

"I am the creator of all that you see," he waved his hand around the pool. 

"I thought swimming pools were supposed to be above or inground, not under it?" 

"You won't be laughing once you're one of us." 

"You have to catch me first." 

"I accept your challenge." 

I zip-lined to the ceiling of the cavern and hung there. Visser One morphed to falcon and flew after me. He had an upgrade in his morphing power and could now morph as fast as I could. I swung through the cavern with him close behind, but I could manuever better. I was over the pool when someone shot my webline. It disentegrated and I fell. 

"Aaah!" I shot another line and skimmed the surface as I swung to safety. 

Marco was at the cages trying to free the prisoners that had been captured recently. He pulled at the door, but had no luck. I landed beside him. 

"Need some help?" 

Sure if you think you can bend bars?> 

I grabbed the cage door and pulled. It came right off the hinges. "Lead them out of here," I told him. "Everyone follow the gorilla!" 

"Thank you Spider-Girl," some of the prisoners said as they ran past. 

You decided to come along after all?> Nicole said. 

"I followed you. Let's get out of here." 

They headed towards the exit. I went behind a shed and quickly changed then morphed to panther and followed. 

Where's Stacey?> Cassie asked. 

Right here,> I said. 

What happened to you?> Rachel asked. 

I got hurt real bad and had to morph,> I lied. Did you get the prisoners out?> 

Spider-Girl helped us,> Michael said. Where is she anyway?> 

I saw her leave through a separate exit,> I told them. 

With the prisoners and Cassie free, we headed home. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Jason> 

  


"I'm telling you something's not right!" Nicole argued. 

"How do you know for sure?" I asked. 

"She's been acting weird for the past few days. She disappears during the battle and doesn't show up until we leave. I'm telling you, she's a fucking Controller!" 

We had been arguing about Stacey all afternoon. Fortunately she wasn't around to hear us, she had gone to the mall. Or to the Yeerk pool as Nicole thought. I didn't want to believe it, the last time she was made a Controller I was so depressed that I nearly killed myself. I couldn't bear to lose her to them again. 

"Okay, so what if she is? What can we do about it? They no longer have to regenerate, so how can we know if she is or not?" 

"That scanner Ketara made. We'll use that." 

I called up the others and told them to come over. We sat in the living room and waited for Stacey to come home. She must have flown in through the window, because I heard her bedroom door close. 

I morphed to lion once I was at her door. My muscles coiled, preparing to pounce as Nicole knocked. 

"What?" Stacey called. 

"Let me in, it's my room too." 

"Just a sec," the door opened. "What the fu-" 

I pounced and knocked her to the floor. Marco was in his gorilla morph, he held her hands behind her back. Rachel stood by in her grizzly morph. 

"What are you doing?!" 

Shut up Yeerk!> Rachel snarled. 

"I'm not a Yeerk! Let me go!" 

"You expect us to believe you?" Nicole demanded. "You've been acting strange a lot lately. I didn't pay attention until you disappeared in the Yeerk pool." 

"I'm not a Controller dammit!" 

If you're not a Controller, then why have you been disappearing?> Marco asked. 

Stacey sighed. "Let me go first." 

Make me.> 

"Okay." She snatched her hands free. From a gorilla! 

Rachel took a swing at her and was lifted off the floor. Stacey held her poised over her head. 

That's not possible,> I said. 

"I'll show you guys why I've been taking off," she said, setting Rachel down, "but you have to promise not to try and kill me." 

She unbottoned her shirt to reveal the logo of... a spider! 

"No fucking way!" We all said. 

"Wait a minute," Travis said. "If you're Spider-Girl, then how were you here as you also?" 

Actually, that was me,> Ketara said. I pretended to be Stacey so suspicions wouldn't arise.> 

"The spider exhibit!" Cheyenne exclaimed. "That's why you weren't feeling good that day! You must have got bitten by one of those new spiders! The change must have started taking place shortly after." 

"Remeber when I said there was one missing? That's the one that bit me!" 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Stacey> 

  


Many questions were asked. And many arguements were fought. But we all knew that my identity had to remain a secret, especially from the Yeerks. I knew that if they ever found out about who I really was, it would put everyone in jeopardy. I saw Rowan in school the following day, she seemed frail, broken. I approached her. 

"Hey Rowan, listen I'm sorry about what happened to your brother," I told her. 

"Thanks." 

"Let's call a truce. I don't want us to be enemies, I have enough as it is." 

Rowan laughed. "True. Besides, I'm too depressed to kick your ass." 

"You couldn't kick my ass last time," I giggled. 

"You were just lucky." 

"Yeah right! So you actually met Spider-Girl?" 

"Yeah, I did." 

"I hear she's pretty cool." 

We headed to class together. People stared at us as we passed by, surprised that we were having a casual conversation together. I didn't care. Everything in my life had changed drastically in the past week. Maybe for the better, maybe for the worst. I would have to find out. 

This is my gift, my curse. So who exactly am I? I am Stacey Berenson: Animorph _and_ Spider-Girl. 


End file.
